Lyde1848
Charles Simonds, "Dwelling," 1978
Charles Simonds (1945-)
After studying art at Berkeley and Rutgers, Charles Simonds returned to his native New York and began an intensive exploration of the medium of clay. He first began constructing his characteristic miniature "dwellings" around 1970, and built them directly into nooks and crannies in the buildings around his neighborhood. Unobtrusive and inconspicuous, the small, perishable sculptures would remain in situ until being destroyed by the weather, passersby, or demolition of the whole building. The tiny edifices he creates seems resonant of past civilizations, and imply the existence of a minuscule race of people who, however, never actually appear in the sculptures. Throughout the 70s and 80s, the wider art world began taking notice of his work, and he exhibited the sculptures in both American and European venues. Today, Simonds continues to explore these mythological themes of creation and destruction, man and environment, and organic vs. constructed forms.
"Dwelling, La Biennale di Venezia, 1978."
Because of its impermanence and the conceptual nature of much of Simonds’ work, photography has always played a large role in communicating its values and meanings. Photography assists in his efforts to subvert our usual ideas of scale, because surrounding elements that would normally provide clues to scale can be easily cropped away. Photography, of course, also ensures an afterlife for Simonds’ fundamentally short-lived outdoor creations. In this photograph, Simonds has filled in an opening in a brick wall with what appear to be tiny archeological remains from a miniature vanished race. Though Simonds does not refer to his imaginary race of “Little People” as Indians, the influence of Pueblo-style architecture in works like this is clear. The image also seems to resonate with many of the cultural issues relating to contemporary Pueblo Indians. The Pueblo, like other Indian peoples, have often been viewed by Caucasians (especially in the 19th century) as anthropological or archaeological remnants of a vanishing race, clinging to ancient traditions while being engulfed by a larger culture that either ignores or is hostile to them. Simonds’ image might easily be read as a visual commentary on this notion.
Charles Simonds, "Dwelling," 1978
Charles Simonds (1945-)
After studying art at Berkeley and Rutgers, Charles Simonds returned to his native New York and began an intensive exploration of the medium of clay. He first began constructing his characteristic miniature "dwellings" around 1970, and built them directly into nooks and crannies in the buildings around his neighborhood. Unobtrusive and inconspicuous, the small, perishable sculptures would remain in situ until being destroyed by the weather, passersby, or demolition of the whole building. The tiny edifices he creates seems resonant of past civilizations, and imply the existence of a minuscule race of people who, however, never actually appear in the sculptures. Throughout the 70s and 80s, the wider art world began taking notice of his work, and he exhibited the sculptures in both American and European venues. Today, Simonds continues to explore these mythological themes of creation and destruction, man and environment, and organic vs. constructed forms.
"Dwelling, La Biennale di Venezia, 1978."
Because of its impermanence and the conceptual nature of much of Simonds’ work, photography has always played a large role in communicating its values and meanings. Photography assists in his efforts to subvert our usual ideas of scale, because surrounding elements that would normally provide clues to scale can be easily cropped away. Photography, of course, also ensures an afterlife for Simonds’ fundamentally short-lived outdoor creations. In this photograph, Simonds has filled in an opening in a brick wall with what appear to be tiny archeological remains from a miniature vanished race. Though Simonds does not refer to his imaginary race of “Little People” as Indians, the influence of Pueblo-style architecture in works like this is clear. The image also seems to resonate with many of the cultural issues relating to contemporary Pueblo Indians. The Pueblo, like other Indian peoples, have often been viewed by Caucasians (especially in the 19th century) as anthropological or archaeological remnants of a vanishing race, clinging to ancient traditions while being engulfed by a larger culture that either ignores or is hostile to them. Simonds’ image might easily be read as a visual commentary on this notion.